diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
index a204684a7..84a0db721 100644
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 VModhash(),
                 thing = VByNameIfAuthor('id'))
     def POST_del(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         '''for deleting all sorts of things'''
         thing._deleted = True
         thing._commit()
@@ -986,6 +987,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 VSrCanBan('id'),
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_ban(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         thing.moderator_banned = not c.user_is_admin
         thing.banner = c.user.name
         thing._commit()
@@ -997,12 +999,14 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_unban(self, thing):
         # NB: change table updated by reporting
+        if not thing: return
         unreport(thing, correct=False)
 
     @noresponse(VModhash(),
                 VSrCanBan('id'),
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_ignore(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         # NB: change table updated by reporting
         unreport(thing, correct=False)
 
@@ -1010,6 +1014,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 VModhash(),
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_save(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         r = thing._save(c.user)
         if g.write_query_queue:
             queries.new_savehide(r)
@@ -1018,6 +1023,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 VModhash(),
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_unsave(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         r = thing._unsave(c.user)
         if g.write_query_queue and r:
             queries.new_savehide(r)
@@ -1026,6 +1032,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 VModhash(),
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_hide(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         r = thing._hide(c.user)
         if g.write_query_queue:
             queries.new_savehide(r)
@@ -1034,6 +1041,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
                 VModhash(),
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_unhide(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         r = thing._unhide(c.user)
         if g.write_query_queue and r:
             queries.new_savehide(r)
@@ -1226,6 +1234,7 @@ class ApiController(RedditController):
     @noresponse(VSponsor(),
                 thing = VByName('id'))
     def POST_unpromote(self, thing):
+        if not thing: return
         unpromote(thing)
 
     @validatedForm(VSponsor(),
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
index ec703bbf7..76b032cd6 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/app_globals.py
@@ -184,14 +184,14 @@ class Globals(object):
         return (x.strip() for x in v.split(delim))
 
     def load_db_params(self, gc):
-        databases = self.to_iter(gc['databases'])
-        if not databases:
+        self.databases = tuple(self.to_iter(gc['databases']))
+        if not self.databases:
             return
 
         dbm = db_manager.db_manager()
         db_params = ('name', 'db_host', 'db_user', 'db_pass',
                      'pool_size', 'max_overflow')
-        for db_name in databases:
+        for db_name in self.databases:
             conf_params = self.to_iter(gc[db_name + '_db'])
             params = dict(zip(db_params, conf_params))
             dbm.engines[db_name] = db_manager.get_engine(**params)
diff --git a/r2/supervise_watcher.py b/r2/supervise_watcher.py
index 7aa7e8400..450ef3788 100644
--- a/r2/supervise_watcher.py
+++ b/r2/supervise_watcher.py
@@ -34,10 +34,8 @@ def is_db_machine(host):
     Given a host name, checks the list of known DB machines to
     determine if the host is one of them.
     """
-    ips = set(v for k,v in g._current_obj().__dict__.iteritems() 
-              if k.endswith("db_host"))
-
-    for ip in ips:
+    for db in g.databases:
+        ip = list(g.to_iter(getattr(g, db + "_db")))[1]
         name = socket.gethostbyaddr(ip)[0]
         if (name == host or ("." in host and name.endswith("." + host)) or
             name.startswith(host + ".")):